Driving means for knitting or like machines.



No. 662,I59. A Pafented Nov. 20, |900. l

F. WILCUMB.

DRIVING MEANS FUR KNITYTING 0R LIKE MACHINES.

(Application filed Aug. 4, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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lilNirnn Sterns FRANK WILCOMB, OF NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

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DRH/ING MEANS FOR kNlTTlNG OFl LIKE MACHINES.

SPECIFIGAILION forming part of Letters :Patent No. 662,159, dated November 20, 1900.

i 'Application filed August 4| 1900. Serial No. 25.915. (No model.)

To all whom. it 717,514/ concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK WILCOMB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norristown, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driving Means for Knitting or Like Machines,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to driving mechanism for knitting and like machines; and my obio ject is to provide such an arrangement of parts which will permit the driving-pulley to be belted from any desired direction.

My invention also includes, in combination with a pulley which may oe shifted along the shaft to be driven, a clutch and friction-gear connection between the saine and the shaft, said friction-gear being adjustable through ieadil \,nccessible means to transmit more or less of the power of the driving-pulley to the 2o shaft to be driven. d

My invention includes features of arrangenient and adjustment hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side View, partly in section, and Fig. 2 a plan View, of

lmy invention.

The driving-shaft of the machine is shown at e, and this is rotated through a pulley g, arranged loosely thereon and adapted to be 3o slid longitudinally thereof to make its pins t engage or disengage the pins of a clutch-wheel y'. This clutchwheel has its pins lo carried by a ring Z, loosely connected with the wheel and having an inclined bearing-face engaging a similar face of a ring m, which is carriedl by screws ln, passing through sockets in the clutch-wheel, said sockets containing springs o, bearing upon the heads of the screws and 'tending to force the screws so as to press the 4o rim on, into frictional contact with the ring Z, This frictional pressure is adjustable. The screws n are accessible for adjustment at the faces ofthe clutch-wheel. This clutch wheel or block is-in the form of hand-wheel. By adjusting the screws the friction-ring Z can be engaged more or less firmly with the clutch wheel or block, and thus more or less of its rotary motion imparted to it through the clutch-pins 't will be transmitted to the 5o clutch block or wheelj; and consequently to the main driving-shat', to which tho clutchblock is iixed. The belt wheel or pulleyg is shifted longitudinally through an arm p, engaging a groove q in a hub'of the pulley, said arm being operated through a link 1', counected with the shipper-lever s, pivoted to a boss if on the bearing of the main 'drivingshaft. For holding the pulley either Yin yor -out I employ a friction device to place the shipper connection under restraint, and this device comprises a friction-clutch u, composed of a number of jaws forming a conicalshaped head o and arranged upon arod w, connected with the shipper-arm p, before described. This rod passes through a stud az, formed on the bearing of the shaft e. The conical head of the frictiomdevice fits into a vsocket of a corresponding shaft formed in a block y, loose on the rod w, said block being pressed against the friction device to close the jaws thereof upon the rod by a springs, surrounding the rod and hearing at its ends upon the stud w and block y, respectively. The friction device u has a stein 4. fitting in t-o a support or stud 5, wherein it is held against longitudinal movement byasetscrew 6. The spring-pressed block y will be forced upon the conical head o of the block, and thus cause the' from the spring e, which constantly compresses the clutch-block Ay upon the conical head. This device will automatically coml pensate for wear of the rod Lu andv friction,-

jaws, as the spring will compensate for Wear on these parts and maintain them in frictioual 'contact of the desireddegree of pressure.

By my arrangementof the clutch parts outside of the bearing of the shaft and beyond the point at which the shipper connections are located I am enabled to connect with the driving-belt running to any point about the shaft, as the space about the pulley is left free for the belt to extend in any direction from IOC pulleyand the clutch parts.

I claim as my invention- 1. In combination, in a clutch, the clutch wheel or block fixed to the shaft, the loose clutch part, the friction members carried by the fixed clntchblock one of 'which members may have rotary movement independent of the clutch-block, and the engaging parts on said loose friction member and on the loose clutch part, substantially as described.

2. A clutch comprising ashaft, a fixed and a loose part thereon, and the two friction members between them for communicating the movementY of one to the otherrof said parts with means for adjusting the pressure between the friction members, substantially as described.

A driving mechanism consisting;r of a shaft, a bearing therefor, a loose pulley adjacent `to the bearing and outside thereof and having clutch parts and a hand-wheel attached rigidly to the end of the shaft and adjustable frictional connections between the loose pulley and iXedhand-wheel, said frictional connection including clutch parts, substantially as described.

4. In combination, the shaft, a looselymounted pulley and a fixed hand-wheel on the said shaft, and a frictional ring interposed between the pulley and hand-wheel having adjustable means, accessible from the outer end of the driving-shaft, said adjustable means passing through thehand-wheel, substantially as described.

5. A driving device consisting of the sha-ft, a pulley loosely mounted on the shaft, the hand-wheel xed to the shaft, frictional conneetions between the two and a shipping device to move the pulley longitudinally on the shaft into and out of engagement with therfriction connection, substantially as flescribed.

(i. A clutch comprisingr a clutch-block, a friction-ring carried thereby to rotate constantly in unison therewith, a ring carried loosely by the block and adapted to impart movement thereto, means for adjusting the -lpressnre between the rings and a clutch part to engage the loose ring, s nbstantially as described.

7. In combination, the clutch-block, aring carried thereby to rotate in unison therewith, a loose friction-ring between the first ring and the clutclrblock, a clutch part having means for engaging the loose ring and the. screws for adjusting the irst ring extending longitudinally of' the shaft and accessible at the face of the clntch-blmik.

S. In combination, the shaft, the clutch members, a fixed and loose friction-ring carried by one of the merbers to communica-tt` the motion from one member to the other through paris on the loose ring engaging' parts on the opposite member, substantially as described.

9. In combination, a wheel or block, an adinstable friction member carried thereby to rotate in unison therewith a loose friction member engaging said adjustable member and carried bythe wheel or blockand a part to coact with the said loose member, substantially as described.

10. A clutch comprising the fixed and loose parts, a loose friction member to transmit movement from one to the other, means for regnlatingthe pressure between said friction member andan opposing friction-surface on one of the parts and engaging, parts between the said loose friction member and the o'ther part of the clu teh, su bstan tially as described. In testimony whereof I aflix. my signature in presence ol' two witnesses.

' FRANK lVILCOMll. Witnesses F. B. WILDMAN, OLGA M. RAKERD. 

